Here is accurate information as it is from the eye witness:

Peter & Steve (the HRA doctors) comment regarding rescue of Mike is outrageous to say the least !
I was there with Mike every proverbial inch and minute during the descent from 8700m to C2 ! I’m not a doctor but I have a Master Degree in science and through my work I have an extensive experience and training in assessing risks. what I have observed during those agonising hours was terryfing !
Mike acted in the same way as Peter on the North side who died on the 25 May at 8600 m, (his trauma is described on the net ), what I mean is that in one moment Mike, like Peter, would talk completely ‘normal’ and logical and then he was talking complete nonsense, refusing oxygen and tellig us that we want to poison him…..he could not stand up despite his real efforts, he was collapsing and it looked like he was loosing conciousness, For those doctors to make statement that Mike could walk through Ice Fall is unbelivable ! Alan, you walk the Ice Fall many times so you know that it is an effort for a healthy person ! When finally Mike was at C2 it was very obviout to all of us that there is something really wrong with his health so what do you do in such case ? obviously you do not take chances, specially when it involves somone health & life. One of those doctors (Peter) talk to Mike o/radio – is this enough to assess the person !??? and make statement that Mike was ok ?! As I’ve said ,there were moments when Mike talk completly logical but that does not mean he was ok ! I know Peter also talk to Mike at the hospital but so what ? by then Mike was at lower altitude recovering and his worsts symptoms/state of past 48 hrs were probably gone.

To state that Phil’s action of calling helicopter was unnecessery is outrageous , my biggest worry however is : it is obvious those doctors are more concern with ‘setting the precedence ‘ of using helicopter ….!! (as they stated above !) shouldn’t they be concerned with a human life ? the case always is ‘if in doubt play safe’ and after all none of them was there with Mike on the mountain to assess his state , assessment o/radio in this case is radicolous !.

I’ve climbed with Phil 2x now and being trained in safety I can categoricaly state from my own experience he is very safety oriented mountaineer and looks after clients wery well.

In summary:

For me as a climber it is a big worry that these two doctors are more concern with the use of helicopter than with the risk to human life by sending a sick person to decent via a very well know for it’s risk Ice Fall …..!

Phil is an excellent=safety concious mountaineer whose No 1 concern is to provide the safe climing for all his clients.

Based on what I have eye witnessed his action of calling helicopter to C2 to rescue Mike was fully justified.

Those doctors made a sweeping statement about Mike state of health – base on…? , assessment o/radio and 48+hrs after the event at much lover altitude when the symptoms were gone..

Alan, thanks for wonderfull web, thanks for responding to my husband’s email when I was on Everest
all the best
Margaret